Trouble in Jubilee Government over MPs in extortion ring

A new extortionist cartel of senior politicians has emerged within the top ranks of the Jubilee administration.

The cartel has rattled top officials in Government who are now scared to make decisions on procurement, hiring and spending on big-money projects.

Insiders within the Presidency say the troublesome and corrupt grouping referred to as 'Sky team fixers' within Jubilee corridors of power, is led by two senators and a member of the National Assembly, and has been dropping President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy William Ruto's names to intimidate the accounting officers.

They have reportedly threatened many parastatal chiefs to either part with millions of public money as 'donations to harambees' or face the sack. The cabal has also allegedly stopped some key financiers of the Jubilee campaigns from accessing government contracts.

In a rare interview with The Standard on Saturday – the second ever granted to the media — the President's Chief Advisor on

Political Affairs Nancy Gitau said some of 'victims' of the extortionist clique have pitched camp at Harambee House seeking a powerful shield from the corrupt Sky team fixers.

Mrs Gitau said the clique, working in cahoots with some well-connected brokers, has been frustrating straight and transparent business transactions by making calls to overturn procurement decisions.

The soft-spoken, but powerful advisor at Office of the President said she had, so far, received numerous complaints from various categories of business people expressing their frustration.

"Local businessmen including key government supporters are complaining of political interference in procurement processes. That calls are made are to overturn decisions to favour one side of the coalition," she said, quoting an anonymous complainant who had fallen prey to the corrupt political predators.

She said the activities of the 'Sky team fixers' are also hurting the private sector. 'Sky team fixers' are said to be so ruthless that they care little whose toes they step on.

"My husband was a victim this week with a university job and thinks that nonsense about 'fixing' is hurting his business," said Mrs Gitau.

The moniker is not new because it surfaced in Parliament a month ago, when the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission wrote to Speaker Justin Muturi informing him of the complaints of extortion filed against politicians.

The EACC warned the MPs that it was illegal for them to use their position as State officers to extort money for harambees.

Yesterday, the chairman of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Samuel Chepkonga, said the EACC should arrest the corrupt MPs before they cause more harm.

"It is illegal and criminal for MPs to solicit for money from departments, which they exercise oversight over or even from members of the public. The EACC must deal with this matter. My committee is ready to support and protect the commission from intimidation, if they need any," Chepkonga told The Standard on Saturday.

Those familiar with the political architecture within the Jubilee administration, said the clique of politicians was cobbled together with the blessings of President Kenyatta and his deputy to fight out political battles with the Opposition. But the team's influence has since developed to levels never anticipated, wielding influence across all government departments.

Apparently, neither President Kenyatta nor his deputy Ruto are aware that 'Sky team fixers' have degenerated into an extortionist cartel.

Even worse are allegations that some parastatal heads are coerced to submit a certain amount of money on a weekly basis to the politicians.

These claims come only weeks after CORD leader Raila Odinga questioned the source of funds some senior figures in the Jubilee coalition have been donating every other week to public fund-raisers.

Contacted for this story that touches on his troops in the August House, Jubilee's party leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale, warned that the days of the corrupt politicians were numbered.

"Whether you are the Sky team, or the President, the Deputy President, majority leader or whoever you are, just know that this country operates under the rule of law. We must and we will expose people engaging in this unscrupulous behaviour," said Duale yesterday in a phone conversation from the Netherlands.

The Majority Leader added: "We are warning our civil servants that you shall be held accountable if you interfere with procurement rules just because a senior fellow in Jubilee called you."

The issue is so bad that it has plunged the Jubilee administration into new depth of bitterness and hostility as key State officials from both coalition parties The National Alliance (TNA) and the United Republican Party (URP) trade accusations against each other.

An MP from Mount Kenya region who did not want to be quoted because he didn't want to antagonise his party bosses, said he too, had suffered in the hands of his extortionist colleagues.

"The President should be advised to keep off 'harambees'. There have been numerous complaints about parastatals coerced for weekly cash. Tenders are predetermined through calls or summons by 'Sky team fixers'. But none of us will dare voice this because we are completely sidelined. I am personally fatigued. Even top private sector executives (who supported boss) are disappointed. I fear we are losing core trust. Good day," read a text message.

Asked if she had received the complaint, Mrs Gitau said the MP had sent a copy of the text.

Contacted, Deputy President Chief of Staff Marianne Kitany, would not pick calls neither would she respond to text messages. So did Deputy President William Ruto's press secretary David Mugonyi.

President Kenyatta's spokesperson Manoah Esipisu said he couldn't comment.

"If Nancy has spoken, I don't think we can comment because she is an official in the Presidency," he said.

Another Jubilee MP vowed: "This 'Sky team fixers' are conducting procurement terrorism. Like in Kenya Pipeline Company, serious jobs belong to one exclusive group. We shall move there and dismantle those cartels."

He added: "When the President or the Deputy President get to know somebody in Jubilee is involved in this scandal, I can assure you such people will be in trouble."